ROUTED WITH QUICKLIME

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1928, Page 10

ROUTED WITH QUICKLIME

STORY OF SIEGE OF INCHOWFU. “When the History of the Chinese Civil, War is written —supposing that, it. ever is—the siege of Inchowfu will stand out as one of its most thrilling incidents.” This statement was made to a representative of the Sunday News by a British Army transport officer just home on leave from China. Giving some interesting details in that part of the/war in which his duties took him, the officer said: — “Part of the forces were not badly armed or trained, for Celestials, and there were good men among them, but tho majority did not know what they were fighting for. If they did not get pay when it was due there was trouble, for a ‘Chink’ must have mohey to gamble with “There -were plenty of adventurers out there —the hardest cases that ever struck a trail, especially the Russians, and it was due to their schemes that the trouble started. One of the worst features of the war was when battalions deserted en bloc and started campaigns on their own against peaceful citizens. “The methods employed by the rabble armies trained under Soviet adventurers are unprintable. It is almost impossible to conceive that human being could perpetrate such outrages. There was no satisfying their lust. Victims of tender years were tracked and carried away from their parents in broad daylight in public streets. “The troops rarely moved faster than the artillery, drawn by oxen over roads that were built for nothing heavier than a rickshaw. At times heavy guns would sink in the road and the whole force would stop to recover them. Behind the field guns came the hand-carts carrying ammunition.

“It was remarkable to see a force open fire. The order to halt would be given, and officers would race up and down the ranks like cats on hot bricks. At last the men would be mustered in some sort of European fashion. At long range they would blaze away at each other, with the back-sights of their rifles elevated to the fullest extent; then there would be a long lull to allow the ‘hand-cart squadron’ to retire for more ammunition.

“Millions of shells fired during t(ie revolution never exploded. Some were handicapped by the thick- wall which surrounds the town for nearly four miles. Inchowfu is an isolated spot, some 6 miles from Tsingtau. The invading army camped on the outskirts of the town for a month without making an impression on its walls with their biggest guns.

“Then aeroplanes were sent for, and backwards and forwards they flew, day after day, dropping bombs. Fortunately, many of them failed to explode, but the dust they raised from the shattering of the bamboo houses Jed the aviators to think that they had practically wiped out the population. Then the invaders constructed wide bamboo 'scaling ladders, which would bold four soldiers on each rung; but when these were placed against the wall they would not reach more than half-way to the top.

“Meanwhile the defenders collected all (he sacks they could find and filled them with quicklime. They emptied the sacks in the faces of the invaders. Tho result was appalling, for as they looked upwards from hundreds of ladders the quicklime was showered down upon their faces. Ladders were emptied quicker than they were scaled.

“As the lime burned their eyes men fell upon each other in heaps, roaring with pain. Then followed flights of poisoned arrows, and spears pierced their bodies until over 15,000 were slain. ff’housands more were blinded, and ran in terror, discarding rifles and equipment. “It was the most disastrous combat in (he history of the revolution, and, strangely enough, it was a triumph of mediaeval warfare over an army furnished with modern equipment, which goes to show that modern weapons in the hands of iffe untrained i'-en are an impediment rather than assistance.

“./here is mm h to be said for the bra/eiy and rertiimie of the townsfolk in. withstanding the siege for a month. Their de.it] at the end of the, siege amounted to less than lOoh. including deaths from aeroplanes.”